"Nanosponges" Able to Absorb and Remove Dangerous Toxins from the Body

April 21, 2013 01:59 PM EST By: Jennifer Rocha

"Nanosponge" able to neutralize toxins by destroying the cells through puncturing the cell membranes.

The “nanosponges” are wrapped in red blood cell membranes to prevent them from being attacked by the body’s immune system. “This is a new way to remove toxins from the bloodstream,” Liangfang Zhang, a nanoengineering professor at the UCSD Jacobs School of Engineering, said in the release. The “nanosponges” are free of toxins, thus safe for medical professionals to deliver general treatment versus multiple toxin-dependent treatments.